12 Things We Learned From The Distress Brief Support Co-Design Process

Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) led an extensive co-design process across the Tablelands and Mareeba regions, engaging more than 360 community members, service providers, Elders, volunteers, and people with lived experience.

Their insights have shaped how Distress Brief Support (DBS) will operate locally, ensuring the model feels human, practical, culturally grounded and genuinely community-led.

Here are 12 things we now know — and what they mean for bringing the model to life on the ground.

1. Distress is widespread — and often not clinical: people talked about finances, relationships, housing, ageing, natural disasters and transport as key drivers of distress. These everyday pressures require a response that isn’t clinical by default. 
2. People turn to trust, not services: friends, family and local community groups are the first places people go. Trust matters more than formal pathways. DBS needs to strengthen these natural supports. 
3. Natural helpers already exist everywhere: local connectors — community centres, clubs, Men’s Sheds, informal groups — are already supporting people. DBS is about backing what’s already working. 
4. Community Engagement Points must add value, not burden: training, support and debriefing need to fit naturally with how groups already operate. Activities must be useful, flexible and low-pressure. 
5. DBS must feel “not like a mental health service”: language and approach matter. If it feels clinical, many people won’t engage. The model must feel warm, human and welcoming. 
6. Workers need to meet people where they are: in parks, workplaces, community halls or online — wherever the person is most comfortable. Flexibility is essential for people to feel safe opening up. 
7. The Short-Term Support Team must be local and relatable: workers need to live in and understand the region. Cultural fit, lived experience and local knowledge are essential to trust. 
8. Compassion needs systems that support workers: debriefing, supervision and realistic caseloads matter. Compassion can’t just be personal — it needs organisational backing. 
9. Access must reflect the geography: transport is a major barrier. Outreach, locally-based workers and using community infrastructure for telehealth make support reachable. 
10. Confidentiality matters deeply in small communities: people want privacy and options outside their immediate town. Offering online or out-of-area support increases safety and comfort. 
11. Community education is essential: reducing stigma, normalising conversations about distress and encouraging early help-seeking are central parts of the model. 
12. Cultural identity and diversity must shape delivery: support must feel culturally safe and locally grounded. First Nations perspectives and diverse community voices are essential design inputs. 

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